Weekend Lesson part 2: Jumping!

Ok, so don't get too excited.  When I say jumping, I don't mean major jumping.  It's little jumping.  But since I haven't done it in quite some time (3 weeks?  4?) it's all exciting.  

Violet was a little more up.  She knows when the breastplate goes on, jumps will be involved.  We headed over to Rocking Horse's new warm up area.  They just got done adding footing, so it's all nice and squishy.  And the main jump ring is closed due to the Winter series going on.  Apparently, with the number of horses that stay on the property, allowing people to school in there between the shows does a number on the footing, so it's either the warm up area, or the grass ring, but of which work great.

Pretty girl is ready for an early morning ride

Anyway, we started out warming up doing a lot of the same things we had worked on the day before.  It's much harder to do when there are no rails to show you where the corners actually are!  We did some weaving in and out of the fences so that she was forced to listen to me, trying not to get into the mindset of just going around the outside of the area.  She warmed up quickly and we went right to work, cantering a raised pole a few times and halting on the other side, then alternating directions, concentrating on keeping her OUTside shoulder on the track I was trying to ride.  One direction is always harder than the other, but surprisingly, that direction is not always the same anymore.  I think this time the harder direction was actually right, instead of left.  I must be getting better about that right shoulder, and she must be developing strength.

After doing that on a modified figure 8 a few times, we moved on to a crossrail, starting at the trot, then moving to the canter.  Marcy had to remind me where to release a couple of times.  I seem to either do it too soon or too late, until I get the hang of it.  That went up to a small vertical, then a bigger vertical.  We worked a bit on looking up instead of down at the fence.

Jumper pony ready to go.

Then we moved on to a couple of lines, starting with a 5 stride crossrail to a vertical, that turned into an oxer to a vertical.  At first I had trouble getting the strides.  At this point, Marcy had me lengthen my reins and ride with them longer than usual.  It seems I have been restricting the pony neck, which is already short.  So, once I lengthened that, and quit trying to take back between the fences, instead supporting a nice even canter, she got the strides right on.  I'm telling you, it felt FAST!  But not out of control, and at the same pace.  I just have to get over that.  She's always going to feel fast because she's short.

From there we moved to a 6 stride and did the same thing.  On both lines, I seem to have no trouble with the fence coming into the line (counting strides out loud helps me.  Doesn't matter the count, just the counting itself), but have an issue with the out.  Part of that is because I was looking down.  After the first fence, I have to pick something in the distance to look at and use my peripheral vision to direct to the next fence, without staring at it.  That seemed to work great, in that I didn't put Violet on the forehand and she seemed to get the distance with no issue.  

Then we did the 5 to the 6, and that was great.  Then we switched it around and did it the other direction, which was even better!  At that point, we stopped.  She was so good.  After going down the last line, I turned to Marcy and said "that was fun!".  She laughed and said she thought I might hate her.  That reminds me that it was not too long ago when just cantering a fence was enough to make me feel ill.  I made myself do it, but it was usually with a great big breath and a grimace.  Now, I'm letting Violet flow through the lines and, even though it feels fast, I know it's just balanced.  Her cadence is faster, but as long as it's the same canter all the way through, it's good.  And I'm really trusting the pony.  At times, I wouldn't trust the distance, and now that I'm trusting that more, it's more fun.  As I said before, I would love to do some jumper shows.  Nothing too big, 2'6", maybe 2'9".  We still have to work on the combinations, but I bet we could kick some serious butt and have a great time doing it.

After that, we went for a long walk, and then Violet got her Valentine's treat, her favorite, and apple.  She requires I let her bite it, takes too much at one bite, and then proceeds to make applesauce.  She does this sucking her tongue thing at the end, like she just has to get every last bit.  It's very messy, and she absolutely loves it.

Dis how pony-girl makes apple sauce.  It's the best ever!